Project Elea Photography

 This past June I took a summer journalism course at the Arcadia Center in Athens. For my final project, about volunteer art initiatives for refugees, I visited several different refugee camps and interviewed both volunteers and the refugees themselves. These photos are some of my favorites that I took at Camp Eleonas (where Project Elea, the main subject of my article, is based). 

I love the contrast of the torn gray couch against the bright blue wall. The composition is simple, and instead of having a person as the subject, the couch itself is the subject, which tells a story all by itself.

I think this photo truly captures how excited the little boy was about his plant. The plant is in focus, and he is looking down at it with awe instead of looking at the camera. I also like that his family's "container," or IsoBox, is shown behind him, which gives the viewer a taste of what his living situation is like.  The other photo next to it shows the progression--that his plant led to other plants throughout the "neighborhood."

The composition of this photo allows the viewers to see three different things: 1.) The laundry hanging on the line (which hints to the fact that the refugees live here); 2.) The fence thinly separating the camp from the slums of Greece; 3.) The mural which adds color and attempts to make the "view" more appealing. 

This photo captures the art class this girl is attending--she is focused on her drawing, relaxed, and doing what any ordinary child might do: color with crayons. Behind her, however, you can see the sign "Hate me I don't care" an indication that her living environment makes this moment different than other children. 

This mural "What if fall? Oh but my darling, what if you fly?" is a visual complement to one of the anecdotes in my article: one refugee broke down in tears when he first saw it.  

The photos below also help provide visual imagery for aspects of my article that describe the setting of the camp:

Check out my article here.